Phosphates production in 1998 maintains same level as in 1997

The Moroccan state-owned phosphates company "Office Cherifien des Phosphates" (OCP) produced 22.9 million tons of phosphates in 1998, maintaining almost the same production level as in 1997 (23.08 million tons), despite the financial upheavals in southeastern Asia and the economic crisis in Eastern Europe and Russia.

The figures were disclosed in the economic report released by the Moroccan employers' association "la Confederation Generale des Entreprises du Maroc" (CGEM).

The production of phosphates byproducts which reached on the whole 4,37 million tons, recorded a slight drop of 1.3 % in the production of phosphoric acid (2.42 mln tons compared to 2.45 mln tons the previous year), while the production of natural and chemical fertilizers increased by 3.9 % (1.95 mln tons compared to 1.87 mln tons).

Crude phosphates exports increased by nearly 1% to reach 11.7 million tons while exports of phosphoric acid slightly dropped from 1.7 million tons in 1997 to 1.5 million tons in 1998.

The CGEM report also said the production of lead and zinc has recorded an increase of nearly 30 %, thanks to the Guemassa mines production.

Silver production increased by 8.8 % to 284 tons compared to 261 tons in 1997, while the production of barytine grew by 4.4% (346,500 tons compared to 331,600 the previous year).

The production of other minerals has dropped such as iron whose production declined by 12.5 (from 6,400 tons to 5,600 tons), copper by 25.6 % going down from 36,000 tons to 26,800 tons, and manganese by 4%, going down from 29,500 to 28,300 tons.